Oldham Town 3 Maine Road 0
Moore and Co Solicitors North West Counties League Cup
At: Whitebank Stadium
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Admission: £4; Programme: none
Attendance: 30 (headcount)
Weather: cold, dry
Duration: first-half: 45:26; second-half: 46:40
Division 2 side Oldham Town proved too strong for higher-ranked Maine Road of Division 1 as they progressed to the next round with a 3-0 victory. It was a particularly memorable night for James Curley who bagged a hat-trick.This game was rearranged as the original tie was abandoned due to floodlight failure with the score at 1-1.
Oldham Town played at the Whitebank Stadium, located to the south of Oldham Town Centre. There are three separate stands at the top of the slope, close to the entrance with one containing seats. Another area of covered standing is located behind the bottom goal with an additional seated stand on the far touchline near the top corner. Last but no least is a further area of covered standing in the corner by the entance on the near touchline - a total of six separate stands!
Maine Road (in yellow shirts, blue shorts and yellow socks) got the game underway attacking up the slope in the first half. It was an opening attacking start by both sides though the visitors were on top by the quarter hour mark.Oldham took the lead in the 36th minute. Curley took the ball into the area on the right with defender John Mason alongside. The striker had enough space to hit an angled into the opposite bottom-left corner of the net.
Curley soon broke clear but was forced wide by the advancing keeper. He still was able to cut in and shot over the bar.
A slip by Mark Clancy in the 39th minute allowed Curley to get past Maine Road keeper Greg Hall and slot into an empty net to double Oldham’s lead.Maine Road had a couple of chances around the hour mark to get back into the game. Mark Mitchell blasted a free-kick at the wall after keeper Oldham David Cornell had fouled Gareth Richards just outside the area. Richards then fired over from the left corner of the area.
Oldham certainly had to battle to retain their two-goal advantage and survived a scare in the 78th minute. Jerome Wright drove a free-kick from the left across the face of goal which Chris Simms got a touch to but couldn’t direct the ball on target.
The outcome was put beyond doubt in the 82nd minute when Curley completed his hat-trick. Chasing a long ball, he charged down Hall’s clearance and slotted into an empty net.In the closing stages, Jonathan Phillips fired just wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the area and, at the other end, Cornell got down to save and hold a low shot from Richards.
Oldham Town (blue/white/white): 1. David Cornell, 2. Andrew Kennedy, 3. Chris Ward, 4. Jonathan Phillips, 5. Tony Hanlon (capt), 6. John Joyce, 7. Ashley Leith, 8. Nathan Everritt, 9. Darren Scanlon, 10. James Curley, 11. Lee Neville. Subs: 12. Dave Bowker (for Curley, 85), 15. Leon Meilier (for Leith, 68), 16. Aaron Hopwood (for Ward, 24).
Maine Road (yellow/blue/yellow): 1. Greg Hall, 2. Chris Simms, 3. Mark Clancy, 4. Alex Jay (capt), 5. John Mason, 6. Colin Marshall, 7. Mike Senior, 8. Mark Mitchell, 9. Gareth Richards, 10. Steven Cheetham, 11. Jerome Wright. Subs: 12. Lee Ashton (for Clancy, 82), 14. Paul Wadsworth (for Cheetham, 82), 15. John Rawlinson (for Marshall, ht).
Referee: T. Massey.
Goals:
1-0 James Curley (36)
2-0 James Curley (39)
3-0 James Curley (82)
Cards:
Oldham: none
Maine Road: Steven Cheetham (YC, 50)
